my favorite event of 2013

Happy New Year, everyone! May God bless you in 2014!

looking back & looking forward

I have not been very good at blogging recently. I used to do well to get one post a day out and I’m sure that was excessive as all get out, but somehow it tapered off to a couple of posts here and there in the month if we were lucky. We’ve been busy with Clara and moving and so many changes.

We’re inching closer and closer to a new year, a fresh slate, a brand new beginning. This past year perhaps could be dubbed “The Year of Challenges” or “The Year of Changes” because we went through so many of both in 2013, but I am sure the next year will bring both as well.

This time last year, I was still only beginning to face my PTSD, beginning to deal with the fact that I had to take antidepressants to help me out as I faced it. Around this time, Benjamin was in the hospital for a second time. We were a few weeks short of meeting our sweet baby girl. Everything was busy, everything was emotional.

This past year has been filled with such a chaos of emotions. Depression, anxiety, joy, fear, anger, hope, sorrow, love, happiness. So many what-if moments, so many blessed moments, so many how-can-this-be-happening-to-US moments. So many thank-you-FATHER moments. I have experienced heartache. I have experienced helplessness. I have experienced hopefulness. I have experienced darkness and light. Love. So much love.

Moments that I wouldn’t dare change because they are necessary.

I’ve grown so much.

We – Carl and I – have grown so much.

Our family has grown so much.

Every time we start a new year, I always hope that by the time it’s over, I can look back and honestly say that I’m a better person now than I was a year ago… and looking back, I think that I am in some areas. In some areas, I’m not. Let’s be honest here, I’m not perfect. I could do better and I hope that I do.

This time next year… I really do hope to be able to look back and say that I’ve conquered myself a little more, that I’ve surrendered my stubborn soul to Him more than the year before, that I’ve given my all to the people I love.

I pray that you… whoever happens to be reading this… whether you’ve endured heartaches or happiness, whether your heart has been weighed down by sorrow and pain or whether it’s been lifted up with joy and peacefulness… I wish you all beauty and growth in the new year. I hope that your soul blooms. I hope that your life overflows with blessing so much that you just can’t stand it.

I hope that this next year is met with courage no matter your circumstance, and determination to be able to look back and say, this time next year, that you did your best and you’re better for it.

Me… I want to be a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter, a better sister, a better in-law, a better… everything. Above all a better Christian. My New Year’s resolution… my every day forthcoming resolution, is to try.

A few words for 2011

I’d make a New Years Resolution if I thought I would remember throughout the year and keep it. But I know myself better than that. So I’m going to set myself up with a couple of guidelines for the year and if I can stick with those, I know I will be all right. I’m going to share with y’all in case you need to see them too for inspiration for your New Year!

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” – Matthew 6:33

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!” – Philippians 4:4

“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” – Romans 12:9

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:1-2

“Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” – Galatians 6:10

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13

May your New Year be blessed and may we all strive to serve God to the best of our abilities in 2011!!

 

And a prayer request:

Please pray for my family this coming week. My Great-Granddaddy died yesterday (he was 95 years old) and we will be traveling down to South Georgia for the funeral early this coming week. Also, we’re going to be moving in exactly one week. So please remember us in prayer! Thanks!

Great Things He Has Done

We're four days into 2010 and I can already tell this is going to be a blessed year. Last year was full of many blessings, a few trials, lots of laughter and lots of tears. I am so thankful that I've had my family throughout everything. So thankful that we were able to 'grow' our family. God is so good. He has blessed me in so many ways that I can't even comprehend. Some things could be blessings in disguise and perhaps one day I will look back and see how it all fits into a bigger picture, but until then, I'll just thank God for all the blessings He so bountifully pours out onto our family.



We've made so many friends this past year, and I am so thankful that we were able to ring in the New Year, surrounded by many new friends. Contrastly, I've lost a couple friends due to lack of communication or perhaps a falling out, but that's okay too. When I look back, I can see how it can be for the better.



This year is bound to be a busy one. Benjamin will have his first birthday party this month! I've already ordered the invitations, and his birthday shirt is on the way. I just have to smooth out all the details and execute! Which is always the hardest part for me... the execution. I know what I want, I just have to muster up the energy to get it done. Any helpful websites you could suggest would be more than welcome!



I love that boy so much!



Yeah, I am thinking this is going to be an incredible year. I am praying for many more blessings to come, and thanking God for all He has already done for us in our lives! To God be the glory, great things He has done!



Oh, P.S. ... A new year is a good excuse for a new Blog Look, right? Keep a lookout for that! I'm thinking we're going to turn this blog around a bit. :)

A New Year, a New Leaf.

Can you believe it is 2010 already? More importantly, can you believe that all three of us, and that includes Mr. Benjamin, were able to stay up to turn a new page together, enter into a brand new year? I was a little shocked, but so glad to have rung in the new year with my husband and our baby boy.

And now? For my first blog entry of 2010, it would only seem right to talk about how much happened in the last year, or perhaps all I want to accomplish in the upcoming one. I can't really bring myself to do either, though, as I am watching my son with his foot in a candycane box.

This year is going to be great. It's going to be full of blessings. I suppose if I had any goals for this coming year, it'd be to pray more, to study the Bible more, to be a better wife and mother, to grow. Normally I don't make any resolutions because I feel like I can never keep up and keep to them. But these, I can. Because they are important to me, to my family.

I hope you all find many blessings in 2010!